Akutenshi Nakare Kyo
Evil Angel Don't cry
By Toku Tenshi
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, but if I did then I never would have cut Videl's hair, I don't like it short…
A/N: GOMEN NE MINNA-SAN! bows furiously until falls over with swirly eyes and a major headache I haven't updated my stories since school started because of work and school, but not updating during break is just unacceptable! Now I have one day a week that is work and school free. I shall try my best to not sleep all day long, but I can make no guaranties as I do get very tired from work. And so, I present you all with this! shine! It is the official 'Reader-frustration-at-authoric-faults-aliviation-whacking-stick'™! (As seen on TV!) Please make good use of it everyone!
Chapter 14: Taishin Confrontation
"Videl…" Erasa began with closed eyes and clasped hands, "I am… I am… SO PROUD OF YOU!" The blonde jumped at her friend, squeezing her in a great hug. "The teacher said your first draft was perfect! Such marvelous work all in one night even though you have been through so much lately; you managed to pull together an extraordinary report." Erasa released her friend and feigned tears. "I'm so jealous of your skill. My essay still needs work."
"It… it wasn't all that great, really." Videl looked down meekly.
"But Miss Kome praised it so much! Can I read it? You have it saved, right?" Erasa went to Videl's PC and turned it on.
"I'm not sure… I kind of fell asleep after I finished it." Videl slid out of her bed and hobbled over to Erasa. As she got closer to the computer she noticed something in the printer tray. "Ah! I forgot the title page! I wonder if she marked off points…"
"Huh?" Erasa turned to regard her pajama suited friend as the PC booted up. "What do you mean? The title page was paper clipped right on the front, just where it should be. You must have printed two on accident."
"I guess so, I can't really remember this morning." Videl tugged at her pigtail but lifted her head again. "Paper clip?" She murmured to herself.
"Ah! This must be it here on the desktop," Erasa squealed as she opened the document excitedly, anxious to read her friends masterpiece. What she saw, however, was anything but fantastic. "'The Heaven and Earth Fighting Tournament has been around for a very long time. Lots of people fought hard against each other for fame or fortune but there could only be one champion. Each tournament had new faces and old ones, but reputation alone was not enough to win the day'?" Erasa turned to her friend slowly. "Is this… is this your final copy?"
"Hmm? Yeah, of course it is. You know I only had time to do one draft." Videl cocked her head puzzled. "Why?"
"Well…," Erasa cleared her thought and looked away. "No offence or anything, but this… I don't see how the teacher could treat it so highly…"
Videl lowered her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" She set her hands on her hips and gave Erasa another puzzled look.
"What I'm trying to say is… well…"Erasa mumbled something under her breath that her friend could hear.
"Come again? Didn't catch that." Videl leaned in closer, grabbing the computer desk to help support her weight.
"I said… IT SUCKS!" Erasa shouted, knocking Videl over. "It's terrible, I can't stand it! It's a horrid piece of writing!"
Videl was taken back. "Bu… But the note from the teacher said it was really good. I don't get it…" Videl sat on the floor and lowered her head. That's when she remembered. "Erasa, didn't you say that the report was paper clipped?"
Erasa nodded her head. "Yeah, and it was a good thing too because I tripped once I got into the classroom and the papers went everywhere so the pages would have been separated otherwise."
"Erasa…" Videl began as she slowly stood up, "I stapled my report. I don't have any paperclips." She pointed to the small supplies on her computer table as she spoke; showing Erasa that she in fact did not have paperclips.
"That's weird." Erasa mused while crossing her arms. "Could it have been switched? It never left my side until I tripped in class though…"
The raven-haired girl nodded and made her way back to her bed. "Well, just tell me about what happened when you got to school. We can figure this out."
"Right, I got cha," Erasa remarked as she plopped her fist into her hand. "Lets see, lets see…" Erasa rolled the office chair from the desk to Videl's bed and sat back in it. "I rushed inside the building, the warning bell chiming, and hurried to class. I opened the door and was greeted by Gohan who was sharpening his pencil and then I tripped."
"Over what?" Videl cut in.
"Hmm, now that I think about it, nothing was there. Must have been my own feet!" Erasa remarked happily at her own silliness. "So I got up and picked up the papers, your report was kind of farther away than the rest of the pile though."
"Was anyone near you besides Gohan?" Videl asked, her head down a little as she stared at her hands.
"No one, except the teacher that is. I was so embarrassed! I was crawling around on the floor just as class started and the teacher gave me such a look!" Erasa laughed again at the ball of contradictions that was Erasa and didn't notice Videl's hands gripping the blanket in her tight fists.
"Come on, just for a little bit." Erasa pleaded, giving her best pouty face. "I'm sure you'll still have plenty of time to get home afterwards, so why not?"
"Well…" Gohan was conflicted. He desperately did want to visit Videl again, but the memory of their last conversation still echoed in his mind not to mention the fact that he… ", but why do you need me to tag along with you to visit Videl?"
"Like I said before," Erasa smiled while picking up her backpack, "I need help carrying all of this homework over." Gohan looked at the stack of book questionably. He didn't remember having so many assignments from so many different books. "Besides," Erasa sighed, grabbing Gohan's attention once again, "Don't act like you haven't been worried about her. Lately she has been…" her voice drifted off and her eyes became sad and misty. She bite her nail and looked away. "No, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about that. She said I have to be strong…" Erasa lifted her head, the slightest trace of tears in her eyes. "Never mind, I can do this on my own. I have to stay strong, for Videl." She turned around and sniffed.
Gohan was shocked. Had something happened to Videl? Maybe her injuries were worse that they thought. Maybe she was gotten some terrible infection because of Gohan's poor first aide. "D-don't be silly, Erasa. There're too many books, I'll help you carry them over."
Erasa smirked to herself, and then turned around to face Gohan with a sad, yet relieved look on her face. "Thank you Gohan. Let's get going." The two picked up the books and walked in silence to Videl's house, well, silent except for the occasionally whimper and worried look from Erasa.
They arrived and headed up to Videl's room, knocking at her door.
"Come in," Videl replied from the other side. Was it Gohan's imagination, or did Videl's voice sound weaker than before? The classmates walked in and set the books down on the desk. "Erasa, Gohan. Thanks for the homework, never thought I'd say that." She mused while looking upwards.
Erasa broke into tears and ran from the room, closing the door behind her. Gohan looked at the door, then to Videl. Was she… paler than he remembered? He walked over to Videl and sat in the chair next to her. "Videl, are… are you feeling okay? Erasa hasn't said exactly what, but it seems that something has happened to you. Do you need something? Anything? I'll get it for you right away."
Videl blinked her blue eyes a few times. "What are you talking about? You know what happened to me."
"Then… then it was my fault after all, right?" Gohan leaned closer and grabbed Videl's hand.
Videl blinked and blushed. "Wh-what are you talking about, Gohan? Nothing bad has happened since the whole Piza thing."
"Really? But I thought you got sick or something because Erasa said-"
Both teens turned to the door at glared at the giggling Erasa. "I'm sorry," Erasa giggled out. "It was just so easy that I couldn't help it. One hint that something was wrong with you Videl and Gohan came running out of concern." The blonde looked up at the glaring teens, fire in their eyes. They didn't like being made fun of. "A-anyways!" Erasa coughed, realizing that she stepped too far, "You wanted to talk to Gohan about something but he seemed real reluctant to come. This was pretty much the only way to get him here…" Erasa coughed again and left the room once more.
'He didn't want to come?'
'She needs to talk to me?'
Both teens looked at each other and Gohan instantly released Videl's hand. "S-so, is anything wrong? What do you need to talk about?" Gohan asked, moving things along.
Videl felt her hand grow cold and looked Gohan squarely in the eye. "Cheater." She grumbled. Gohan gave her that innocent, confused look he was known for. "You switched out my report, didn't you?"
Gohan froze. He hadn't expected to be caught so easily and so soon. He had tried to adapt the writing style of the report to Videl's own so that the teacher wouldn't be suspicious, but how did Videl find out? Caught and cornered, Gohan slowly nodded his head.
"Why on earth would you do that? I thought I told you that I didn't your help on every little thing that comes up. Didn't you trust that I could do it?" Videl grumbled sternly, much in the manner that Chichi had done to both her sons and husband.
"I know and I'm sorry." Gohan bowed his head in shame. "I didn't mean to make you angry or belittle you by writing it, it's just… I did it without even thinking. I don't know why." Gohan, the perfect student, was feeling like the scum of the earth.
Videl stared hard at the dark haired teen before her. She saw shame on his face once again – an emotion he had been displaying before quite often recently – and gave an exasperated sigh. "Well, you know what this means, don't you?" Gohan looked up, slightly fearful of what punishment Videl would bestow upon him. He shook his head slowly and waited. Videl crossed her arms and turned her head sharply. "Now you have to write the rest of my reports or else the teachers would catch on that I didn't write that last one."
"Oh, I see. Okay, I guess," Gohan looked down and accepted his punishment.
"I'm joking, idiot." Videl explained as she flicked Gohan on the head. "If any teacher asks about it later, I can always explain that I was very passionate about it because my dad was involved. Or something to that affect."
Gohan rubbed his head where Videl knocked him and blinked. "So then… you aren't angry?"
"Of course I am," Videl huffed, putting Gohan back on guard, "but what's done is done. And you were right, by the way…" She looked down and away from her peer. "I was barely able to write my paper and when I finished I pretty much collapsed right away. Maybe… maybe if I hadn't been so stubborn and asked for an extension then I could have written a good report and you wouldn't have had to pull an all-nighter on my account."
Gohan saw the slightest hint of a smile on Videl's mouth and he too started to smile, glad to once again be on Videl's good side.
End chapter-
Toku tenshi: good, good. Chapter written and ready to go. Its so much easier now that I have my own PC. starry eyed It's almost 11pm and I have a 745 class in the morning, so lets get this done quickly.
